An idiosyncratic journal of wines I buy from a mix of Internet sources and retailers in the Northern Virginia/D.C. area. Mostly inexpensive and moderately-priced stuff, reflecting my frugal New England roots. Cent anni!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

2006 Fire Block Old Vine GRENACHE (Clare Valley, Australia)

A more measured, elegant rendition of one of Australia's undervalued specialties. Everything in balance, this is very flexible with a wide range of stews, meats, and pastas.

Dark ruby color with the beginnings of some garnet hues. very ripe cherry and rasspberry fruit, shot through with fragrant, sandstoney spice. Very ripe, and a bit lower-toned in its fruitiness than I would have expected. Very dark cherry cough syrup/black raspberry fruit, along with a leathery earthy quality. Long finish with loads of body (a little heat, but not too much peeks through). B+. A good value for an immediately drinkable rich Grenache will a little bottle age at $16.99. Got it at Total Wine in Fairfax. Imported by USA Wine West, Saucelito, CA. Drink over the next year.

About Me

ME: I used to be in the wine business ('82 - '87) in NYC. I loved studying (and drinking) wine, but I was no good at sales, so I became a lawyer. MY RATINGS/NOTES: People can sometimes attach meanings to basic wine adjectives that are different from those used by wine geeks, like me. And they also attach unpredictably positive and negative connotations to these words too. Take "fruity." Many casual wine drinkers think fruity is bad, that fruity means sweet. Some people equate "dry" with tannic and astringent. The letter grades scores I give are like school grades. I used to give numerical grades on a 100 point scale, but I decided I'm not really good enough to distinguish between an 89 and a 90. I hope that my scores help people understand how the words I use translate into enjoyment. My scores do not vary with the cost of the wine. They reflect how much I liked it. Also, I give scores to wines only after I've had a chance to focus on it away from the kitchen or dining room, where food smells and tastes can affect my evaluation. Unfortunately, I don't taste "blind," but I try to be as objective as possible.